There are four main typical fly casting lines: level, double taper, weight forward, and shooting taper. These are ordinarily braided with a plastic coating, although the shooting taper head may be attached to a monafilament shooting line.
A level line has a uniform diameter from end to end. The length of this line is typically seventy-five feet as it is difficult to cast any farther than this but, of course, level lines may be made in any length and in various diameters depending on the rod with which it is to be used.
The double taper line has a taper at each end and is normally of the same diameter at its central section as a corresponding level line. The tapers consist of gradually decreasing diameters from the relatively thick central portion toward the ends, merging into short level terminals. A typical double taper line is of ninety foot overall length, with e.g. a sixty-six foot center and ten foot long tapers. As with a level line, either end of the double taper line is usable for the leader and fly, the other end being wound on the spool of the reel. The fly can be cast more delicately using the double taper than with the level line.
Greater distance can also be had with the weight forward line which has a heavy section at the fly end of the lighter main length of the line, and a typical weight forward line is ninety feet overall, with a two foot level forward terminal, a ten foot taper, a twenty foot thickest part, a very short reverse taper, and a fifty-five foot main length.
A shooting head taper line is a variation of the weight forward type. The lines are formed by extruding plastic over a suitable core, but with shooting head taper can be connected to a separate suitable monofilament. The variations in diameter are variations in the thickness of the plastic coating. There are other types which are not well-known and do not concern the present invention.
There are two main ways in which to use any of the lines to cast out a fly. These are explained in detail in the publication by the applicant and Joan Wulff, "Casting With the Fly Rod" which is an excerpt from a book,"Fly Fisherman's Complete Guide to Fishing With the Fly Rod". This excerpt is copyright 1978 by Ziff-Davis Publishing Company. Another reference is McClain's "Fishing Encyclopedia". Briefly, the most used method is "overhead"; that is, extended line is taken completely off the water, turned over in the air above and behind the caster on the back cast, with rod erect, or at eleven o'clock, forming a loop in a vertical plane, and then driving the rod forward and down to return the line out straight onto the water, with or without an additional length of line pulled out on the forward cast.
The more unusual method is called "roll-casting". Keeping the fly on the water, the rod is slowly brought back and up to about the same back cast position, and then driving the rod forward and down, whereupon the line (and fly) are lifted up in a "roll" in the air and moved forward to a light on the water in a straight line. Most people find the roll cast more difficult to accomplish properly, but it avoids complications with the back cast which is behind the caster while the roll cast is in front of the caster where it can be observed.
The present invention improves the line to make accurate and delicate casting easier and longer, especially aiding the roll caster.
The rolling forward of the line on the cast is more efficient if, as the line rolls out in the cast, a line of heavy diameter is constantly turning over its lighter line. This makes the forward section of this invention unique and more efficient than lines of the prior art.